This invention relates to devices for providing breathing assistance to neonatal infants, in is more particularly concerned with headwear, i.e., a neonatal cap, that can be used to hold breathing air tubes that lead to a nasal cannula.
Hospital care for neonatal infants frequently requires supplemental oxygen be provided. This typically involves the use of a nasal cannula, in which a transverse air tube has a pair of prongs that enter the infant's nares and provide breathing gases under positive pressure. Positive pressure is used to maintain the infant's airways, and the apparatus is known as continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP. The breathing gases are provided from a source located near the infant's crib, and pass through a pair of flexible hoses or conduits to the cannula, which is located beneath the infant's nose. The source, which provides the breathing gases at a low volume, is often called a Bubble CPAP machine. It is common to hold the breathing apparatus in place on the infant's head by use of safety pins that are inserted into a knit neonatal cap that the infant is wearing, with the safety pins each holding one of the two flexible hoses.
In this system, if there is a detected sudden pressure change in the breathing gases, an alarm sounds to alert a pediatric nurse to a potential breathing problem with the child. Unfortunately, normal movements of the infant can sometimes cause the cannula to move away from the nose, which triggers the alarm. Also, unless the infant's jaw or chin is gently restrained, it is possible that the infant will begin mouth breathing, which also causes a change in ventilation pressure and can sound an alarm.
An arrangement for clamping the air delivery tubes to the infant's head is described in Ackerman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,946. In that arrangement, a headband is placed around the child's head, and a pair of rigid yokes, placed on the headband, each hold one of the air tubes. These rigid yokes can cause discomfort or injury to the neonatal infant if they should slip out of place.
A tubular knit head band for neonatal use has been proposed in Published Appln. No. US  2003/0034030 to Carlucci et al. In that approach, there is an elastic knit band that goes over the forehead and back of the infant's head, and a pair of integrated loops attached to the headband, so that each of the two air tubes or hoses is positioned in one of the integrated loops. This approach does have the advantage of being made of soft material. However, the entire headband can slip off the infant's head from normal movement, and there is no thought given to urging the infant's mouth closed to discourage mouth breathing. In addition, the two hoses have to be slipped endwise into the two integrated loops, as they are not provided with any means for closing and opening to receive the air tubes from the side.
Neonatal caps are often used in newborn care facilities to prevent too much body heat from escaping from the infant through exposed regions of the head. Frequently, knit fabric is used. The crown, forehead, and back of the infant's head is covered to prevent too much heat loss. A disposable cap for neonatal infants is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,495.